Convertible weft detector



Aug. 4, 1936. q v. PAYNE 2,050,066

CONVERTIBLE WEFT DETECTOR Filed" Aug. 7, 19:54

66 5 R5 in m 4,0 I E nuenoor @scar V. Pagne JW F57 WW4 Qbtorneus Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNETED STATES PATENT @Fi'lCE CONVERTIBLE WEFT DETECTOR Application August '7, 1934, Serial No. 738,832

10 Claims.

This invention relates to weft .detectors for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a detector which can be used either as a side slip or a so-called double contact feeler.

Weft replenishing looms having shifting shuttle boxes were formerly equipped with a weft detector having a penetrating wedge and a laterally movable toothed jaw slightly in advance of the rear tip of the wedge. Presence of sufficient yarn held the jaw, but at weft depletion the teeth were pushed forwardly by the wedge before they could engage the few remaining coils of weft and the resultant lateral motion initiated a change in loom operation. Patent No. 972,722.

On certain types of looms the Ryon feeler was superseded by the side slipping detector shown in my prior Patent No. 1,738,198. The side slipping feeler has a sliding carrier on which is mounted the slipping feeler finger, and a spring holds both the slide and finger yieldingly in normal rear position. Side slipping of the finger causes an indication which calls for a transferring or stopping action in the loom.

Both of these feelers include a sliding carrier with a feeler tip pivoted thereto and movable laterally to give indication of weft exhaustion. The double contact feeler required two springs, one for the slide and one for the feeler jaw, whereas my prior detector operates both slide and jaw with one spring. It is one object of my invention to provide a double contact feeler wherein the penetrating wedge and side moving jaw are actuated by a single spring.

The double contact feeler ordinarily does not require the bunch of reserve yarn needed by the side slip feeler, since the caliper action of the wedge and jaw indicates exhaustion while there still remains on the bobbin enough weft for two flights of the shuttle. With fine yarns, such as silk and rayon, the waste caused by the double contact feeler is prohibitive, and a side slip feeler is consequently used. With coarse yarns, on the other hand, the reserve bunch required by the side slip feeler is too large, and for such yarns the wedge and jaw feeler is used. Either type feeler can be used with medium sized yarns, although present practice tends to the use of a side slip feeler wherever the reserve bunch is not too large or wasteful.

It is an important object of my present invention to provide a feeler readily convertible from one of these types to the other so that the Such a feeler is shown in Ryon same detector, with slight changes, can be used with either fine or coarse wefts.

The double contact feeler as shown in Ryon Patent No. 989,429 has an eccentric stud for the jaw so that the teeth position can be changed to 5 vary the amount of weft remaining at indication.

In order to convert my present feeler from double contact to side slipping it is necessary to remove the wedge. In the Ryon feeler the jaw is the member that is adjusted, but in the present in- 10 stance I combine the adjustability of the older type of feeler with the removability of the wedge necessary to produce a side slip feeler. This I accomplish by holding the wedge to the slide by an eccentric stud or the like accessible preferably 15 from without the feeler housing.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth 0 in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the detector when first engaging a surface to be detected, and arranged 25 as a double contact feeler, parts being removed,

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but with the parts in indicating position,

Fig. 3 shows the detector arranged as a side slip feeler, suggesting the manner of operation, 30

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line i4, Fig.

1, and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 5-5, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the bracket 10 is secured in fixed position on the-loom not shown, and a trip I l is movable in a vertical plane about an axis fixed relatively to the bracket. An actuator lever I2 is given periodic vertical movements down toward the trip and normally clears the latter when no indication is given. When the trip moves to the Fig. 2 position downward motion is prevented and a change in loom operation results, such as replenishment.

The feeler comprises a housing H formed of a bed 20 and a cap 2i held together and adjustable as a unit by a bolt 22 passing through slots 23 and 24 in the housing and bracket if respectively, thus affording adjustment toward and from, and also longitudinally of, the bobbin or weft carrier B.

A feeler finger carrier 25 slides on the bed 20 and has a right hand lateral extension 26 with a short pivot pin 21 on which is the laterally movable finger or jaw 28. The latter is supported by the slide and has a rear toothed detector tip 29, a cross bar 30 extending across the slide 25 to the left of pivot 21, Fig. 1, and also a forward arm or tail 3| to move the trip A normally stationary second slide 35 lies between slide 25 and a wall 36 at the left of the bed and is supported by the latter. A second wall 31 on the bed limits motion of slide 25 to the right, and these two walls guide the slides in their motion toward and from the bobbin. The rear end of slide 35 is turned up to form a stop and pivotal support 38 for the cross bar 38 of the jaw, the left end of which is rounded as at 40 to afford a smooth turning action of the jaw on the stop 38. The forward end of slide 35 is turned up as at 4| to be struck by a part T of the transfer mechanism not shown herein and moved forwardly from the bobbin at the time of transfer, as illustrated in Ryon Patent No. 972,722. A stop lug 42 fixed to slide 35 limits angular motion of the jaw in a counter clockwise direction around pivot 21 by engaging tail 3|.

A compression spring 45 may conveniently lie above and extend along slide 25 and is located between a front stop wall 46 of the housing and the cross bar 30 which has a boss 41 to prevent slipping of the rear end of the spring. This spring is the only one used for the feeler and serves to hold the slide 25 yieldingly in back position with cross bar 30 and tail 3| against stops 38 and 42, respectively. Rear motion of slide 35 and therefore stop 38 is limited by engagement of upturned end 4| with the housing cap 2|, and it is in this way that the jaw 28 and the slide 25 are held in normal position. The matter thus far described is a side slip feeler, acting somewhat as the feeler shown in my earlier patent already mentioned.

The rear end of slide 25 is extended as at 50 and has a hole 5| vertically therethrough from which extends forwardly a groove 52 in the top face of the slide extension. A wedge-shaped feeler member 53 has a rear tapered bluntly pointed end 54 to penetrate the weft on the bobbin or carrier B, and has also a small guide fin 55 which enters the groove 52 and holds the rear pointed end 54 in proper position.

The wedge jaw is held to slide 25 by a stud 68 having a screw head 6| and a barrel 62 eccentric relatively to the axis of the stud and screw threaded shank 63. A nut 64 with a lock washer 65 holds the stud in any desired angular setting. By this construction the wedge member is held in place and is also capable of limited back and forth adjustment relatively to slide 25 and therefore teeth or tip 29. The presence of the wedge makes the feeler of the double contact type.

When used as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a sufficient supply of weft on bobbin B will be penetrated by the wedge point 54 to allow the teeth or tip 29 to have holding relation with the weft. As these two parts move forwardly to the dotted line position of Fig. 1, the pivot 21 is moved forwardly positively by the action of the wedge and. toothed detectors, and the cross bar of the jaw moves away from stop 38, whereupon the spring, being compressed, tends to turn the jaw in a right hand direction around the advancing pivot 27. The weft resists this tendency, however, and tail 3| moves frontwardly without engaging the trip.

When the depth of the weft remaining on the bobbin is less than the amount by which the teeth 29 are in front of the rear end of the wedge, the latter alone transmits forward motion to the pivot 27. Since under these conditions the toothed end 29 is unrestrained by weft, the spring holds rounded end 40 against stop 38 and forward motion of axis 21 rocks the detector jaw to the position shown in Fig. 2. The tail thereupon gives an indication as already described, and if transfer of a bobbin be called, the slide 35 will be pulled forwardly as is customary in multi-color weft replenishing looms.

When it is desired to use the detector as a side slip feeler, the stud 68 and the wedge detector are removed, leaving the rear of slide 25 as seen in Fig. 3. While the slide 25 projects rearwardly beyond the housing, yet it does not interfere with the action of the side slipping jaw. From the drawing it will be seen that the normally fixed end support 38 for the jaw lies to one side of a line perpendicular to the bobbin and passing through the toothed tip 29. As the advancing bobbin strikes tip 29 the jaw tends to move in a right hand direction around pivotal support 38 because of the turning movement growing out of the relation already described. A sufficient supply of yarn prevents this turning, but when the weft is depleted tip 29 slides along the bare bobbin to rock trip II. If transfer follows the indication, forward motion of slide 35 as already described will withdraw the jaw from the path of the incoming bobbin.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a weft detector which is quickly convertible from one type to another merely by changing the wedge member. The side slipping jaw is so mounted that it functions properly to indicate exhaustion whether or not the wedge member is present. Also, when operated as a double contact feeler the several parts are so related as to be controlled by a single spring. Furthermore, the adjustment of the wedge to accommodate different sizes of weft does not disturb the setting of the jaw which is present in both forms, and the adjustment is obtained by the means which holds the wedge in place. It will also be seen that movement of the slide 25 forwardly, whether by a force transmitted through the wedge or jaw, alters the forces exerted on the jaw in such a way that the spring tends to give the jaw an indicating movement. During an indicating movement the stop 38 becomes the center around which the jaw turns and this is due partly to the fact that the slide 25 moves relatively to the stop.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. A weft detector having in combination, a slide movable toward and from the surface to be detected, a detector jaw, a pivotal connection between the jaw and slide on one side of the latter, a second slide extending along the first slide and on the other side of the latter from the pivotal connection, a stop on the second slide to engage the jaw, and a spring directly engaging the jaw and holding the first slide and jaw in normal rear position with the jaw limited by the stop, forward motion of the first named slide advancing the pivotal connection and rendering the spring effective to exert a force on the jaw tending to move the same about the stop to give an indication of weft exhaustion, and forward motion of the second slide moving the slide and detector forwardly without appreciable relative movement of the jaw about the pivotal connection.

2. In a weft detector for looms, a support, a slide movable in the support toward and from the surface to be detected, a laterally movable detector jaw, a pivotal connection between the jaw and the slide, a second normally stationary slide carried by and movable relatively to the support in a direction toward and from the surface to be detected to move the jaw from the surface being detected, said slides being in mutual engagement to resist lateral movement one with respect to the other, a stop at the rear end of the second slide to engage the jaw, means to limit rear movement of the second slide, and a spring acting on the jaw at a point between the pivotal connection and the stop at the rear of the second slide and cooperating with these parts to hold the first slide and jaw yieldingly and normally in rear position.

3. In a weft detector for looms, a fixed support, a slide movable on the support toward and from the surface to be detected, an angularly movable jaw pivotally mounted on the slide, a second normally stationary slide capable of moving in a direction substantially parallel to the first slide to withdraw the detector jaw from detecting position, a pair of spaced stops for the jaw on the second slide, a forwardly extending arm on the jaw proportioned when in engagement with one of said stops to extend into engaging position relatively to the other stop, a spring to hold the jaw against one of said stops to hold the slide and jaw yieldingly in normal rear position and the other of said stops engaging the arm to limit angular movement of the jaw relatively to the first slide.

4. In a weft detector for a loom, a fixed support, a slide movable on the support toward and from the surface to be detected, a detector jaw pivot-ed to the slide and having a rearwardly extending weft engaging finger and a forwardly extending stop arm, a second normally stationary slide movable in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the first slide to withdraw the detector jaw from detecting position, a rear stop on said second slide to engage the jaw, a forward stop on said slide to engage the arm, and a resilient element operatively related to the jaw to move the latter rearwardly against the first named stop and also move the slide rearwardly to effect movement of the arm against the forward stop and thereby determine the normal angular position of the detector finger relatively to the first named slide.

5. In a weft detector for looms, a support, a.

slide movable on the support toward and from the surface to be detected, a detector jaw pivoted to the slide and having a cross bar from which extends rearwardly a detector finger and from which extends forwardly a stop arm, a second normally stationary slide movable on the support in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the first slide to withdraw the detector jaw from detecting position, a rear stop on the second slide located behind the cross bar, and a spring acting on the cross bar to hold the latter normally against the first stop and act through the cross bar to hold the first slide yieldingly in rear position, and a second stop on the second slide, the cross bar movable about the first stop as a pivot to move the arm against the second stop, the cross arm movable between the two stops on the second slide.

6. In a convertible weft detector, a fixed support, a slide movable on the support toward and from the surface to be detected, a laterally swinging detector jaw, a pivotal connection between the jaw and the slide, a spring acting on the jaw in a rearward direction, a yarn penetrating detector mounted on the slide to engage the surface to be detected, a second normally stationary slide movable toward and from the surface to be detected, anda stop on the second slide to engage the detector jaw, the spring normally holding both slides and both detectors yieldingly in rear position and effective by a force exerted through the pivotal connection to move the first slide rearwardly and effective through the stop to move the second slide rearwardly, the second slide movable forwardly to withdraw both detec tors from the surface to be detected, said jaw effective to swing about the pivot at exhaustion of weft whether the first slide is moved forwardly by a force transmitted through said jaw or the yarn penetrating detector.

'7. In a weft detector convertible from a side slipping detector to a double contact detector, a plurality of parts including a slide and a laterally movable jaw pivoted to the slide efiective to operate as a side slipping weft detector, a yarn penetrating detector to be supported by the slide and cooperating with the jaw and effective with the latter to form a double contact feeler, and a second normally stationary slide cooperat ing with the laterally moving jaw and assisting in positioning the latter normally in detecting position, and means on the second slide operatively related to the laterally movable jaw when the second slide moves forwardly to prevent angular movement of the laterally movable jaw relatively to the first slide and cause movement of the laterally moving jaw and the penetrating weft detector away from the surface to be detected.

8. In a weft detector for looms, a support, a pair of slides movable on the support toward and from the surface to be detected, a laterally movable detector jaw, a pivotal connection between the jaw and one slide, a normally stationary stop on the other slide to limit rearward move ment of the jaw, a second stop on the said other slide to limit angular movement of the laterally movable jaw in one direction relatively to the first slide, and a spring acting on the jaw and effective through the connection between the jaw and said one slide and through the jaw and the first stop to hold both the said slides yieldingly in rear position, the other of said slides movable forwardly to move the jaw away from the surface being detected.

9. In a weft detector for looms, a support, a pair of slides movable on the support toward and from the surface to be detected, a laterally movable detector jaw, a pivotal connection between the jaw and one of the slides, a normally stationary stop on the other slide to limit rearward movement of the jaw, a second stop on the said other slide to limit angular movement of the jaw in one direction relatively to the first slide, and a spring acting on the jaw and effective through the connection between the jaw and said one slide and through the jaw and the first stop to hold both the said slides yieldingly in rear posi- .tion, said slides movable independently of each other and the jaw located at all times to have a portion thereof between the stops on the second named slide, and the other of said slides movable forwardly to move the jaw away from the surface being detected.

10. In a weft detector for looms, a fixed support, a slide movable on the support toward and from the surface to be detected, an angularly movable detector jaw, a pivotal connection between the slide and the jaw, resilient means acting on the jaw at one side of the pivotal connection with respect to the length of the surface being detected tending to move the jaw in an indicating direction, a second slide movable independently of the first slide, and a stop on the second slide to engage the detector jaw, the second slide and stop normally being stationary during the detecting operation of the jaw during forward movement of the fixed slide, and said second slide being movable forwardly to cause the stop to move the jaw away from the surface being detected.

OSCAR V. PAYNE. 

